Yule Dinner
by R3DAutumn
Summary: Pippin and Merry take it upon themselves to save the chicken dubbed as dinner. Complete!
1. 1

**Chapter One**

"Are you quite sure you know what you're doing, Pip?" said Merry.

Pippin took no notice of his cousin's comment, and was seemingly oblivious to the cold drizzle and sharp winds that were turning both of the hobbits noses and ears pink. Dark grey skies threatened a winter storm, and Merry was sure he could feel the temperature of the already chilled air dropping.

"Pip?" Merry asked again, rubbing his numbed hands together just as Pippin threw down his and let out an exasperated sigh. The barn door latch fell with a muffled clang against the seeping wood.

"We've got to get her out, Merry, or they'll eat her!" Pippin said, frustrated, and seemingly on the verge of tears.

"Get who out? Who's going to be eaten? Pip, I thought your mother told you to stay out of Grandda's –"

"I haven't been in Grandda's ale!" Pippin yelped, and kicked the barn door. "They're going to eat Poppy for Yule dinner, and we've got to get her out!" 

Merry could see Pippin's tears begin to fall even through the now freezing rain. He took his cousin into is arms. "Pip, we had chicken for Yule last year,"

"Yes, but that was a mean chicken, and Poppy's nice! I'm sure she wouldn't want to be eaten! You're nice, Mer, and nobody's ever tried to eat you!" Merry tried his best to wear a serious face, but he couldn't help laughing a little. Luckily, Pippin didn't notice, and went back to work on the latch. "Are you going to help or not?" he said, exasperated.

"Silly Took, calm down!" Merry took Pippin's shaking hands into his own. "You know your da locked the barn to keep the cats out," said Merry.

Pippin sobbed, "Then it's hopeless! Poor Poppy!"

"I didn't say that! Listen, there's a loose board 'round the side, if you'll give me half a moment, I'll go get the shovel to pull it up –"

"You're going to help?" Pippin cried enthusiastically and hugged Merry around the middle.

"Of course I am! And we can have you for supper instead."

Pippin's eyes grew wide in fear. "But I'm a nice hobbit too!"

"Are you?" Merry winked.

"Merry! Yes! Merry! You can't eat me either!"

Merry ruffled Pippin's dripping curls. "I was only joking, Pip!" he said, and turned to fetch the shovel.


	2. 2

**Chapter Two**

The whole process was a tedious one; sneaking into the barn was not as easy as Merry had remembered. A few years' vine growth over the board had woven the slats together, and mud had settled around its base. Pippin stood and supervised Merry's digging and pulling, urging him on, jumping up and down with boundless energy despite the freezing temperature and gusts of wind and rain.

The board finally gave and sprang forward, just missing Merry's forehead. The space seemed much smaller to Merry, and seeing the trouble he was having fitting into the tiny hole, Pippin offered to fetch Poppy from her doom.

Poppy, unaware of the impending danger, was comfortably nestled in a warm, dry nest, completely oblivious to the hobbit's plight, and quite unwilling to be picked up by a hobbit lad only slightly bigger than she. Struggling to keep his grip on the unhappy bird, Pippin made his way back to the makeshift door. 

Merry saw the flying feathers first, and then the hen, who was shoved, anything but carefully, through the tiny hole. Next came Pippin, arms scratched and bleeding.

"Pip! Look at you!" Merry cried, running his fingers over the scratches.

"Please, Merry, I'm fine!" Pippin squirmed out of his grip. The sudden cease of Pippin's wiggling alerted Merry to oncoming danger. One look at his younger cousin's face confirmed the fact. Caught in the act.


	3. 3

"Pimmie," Pippin mouthed, terror plastered across his face and a chicken busy shaking water off of herself at his feet. Merry whirled around to face Pippin's sister, whose head was covered with a cloak borrowed from the closet. 

Looking down at his feet to try and scrounge together an explanation, Merry realized just what a mess the pair was. He could see Pippin's mud caked feet next to his, covered in dirt all the way up to his calf. His were just as bad, if not worse – he had, of course, waited in the pouring rain while Pippin rescued the fatally endangered bird.

Thankfully Pippin spoke first, as Merry's tongue was tied in horribly tight knots. "Pimmie, don't tell Mama, please!" 

"I'm not so sure what I'd tell her, and by the looks of both of you, I'm not sure I want to know," she said, glancing over Pippin's waterlogged features. "Come inside, quickly, before anyone notices that you're missing," she added, after pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders, "Oh, if Mama sees you two!"

"Pimmie, no!" Pippin yelped, startling even Merry who was used to such exclamations from his cousin.

"What's gotten into you, Pip?" said Pimmie. "Come inside, out of the-"

"I can't leave Poppy!"

"And why is that?" Pimmie said, a little curious now as to what had lead Pippin and Merry outside in such horrible weather.

"They'll eat her!" Pippin cried, throwing his hands into the air and sending mud flying in all directions.

"What?" 

"He doesn't want Poppy to be eaten for Yule dinner, Pim." Merry said.

An onset of extraordinary laughter overtook Pimmie, nearly knocking her over.

"Pimmie!" Pippin shouted, the tips of his ears reddening by the second, "They're going to eat her! Don't you care?"

"Oh, Pip," said Pimpernel, taking her brother into her arms. "Didn't Mama tell you? We're having mushroom soup for Yule this year."


End file.
